Y is for Youthful

I think being Youthful is highly misunderstood.

I don't mean being young physically.
Or young mentally or emotionally.

I mean young-at-heart.

What is that? you might ask...

It is having a sense of wonder in the world. It is finding the joy in the little things, like a rainstorm, a dandelion, or a mud puddle. It is not stressing out over perfection, but having joy at the small accomplishments, such as trying something new. It is enjoying life and all that it offers without need of accolades, fanfare, or fame.

Adults, when they grow up, tend to lose the joy of life and start to seek after darker, more addicting pleasures. They start to fear what people think of them. Kids don't.


kids who dressed themselves.

Ideas such as Popularity and Public Opinion are foreign concepts to them.

Youthful people are the same.

They live life, not to challenge life with a belligerent attitude, but live it while being themselves. I knew this one girl in college who was like this. She dressed little goofy, didn't stress about her body shape, and carried around an old Star Wars lunch box - and everyone admired her for her bravery. She wasn't sexy. She didn't even think about that stuff. And that made her more likeable.

People like Luna Lovegood
are young-at-heart


I think this is why I like reading fantasy novels so much. They bring out the wonder, and don't tell gossipy tales about who did what and wore what which was so scandalous. But stories about individuals who were unique, acted on their inner feelings, and struggled with life.

To put it in perspective, the opposite of Youthful is Jaded and Cynical.

Being jaded is having lost enthusiasm and pleasure in life. It is filled with boredom, seeing the world around us as junk, and taking much of what you have for granted.

Cynics are a little worse.
I once heard someone say "Cynics never contribute." Which is SO true. A cynic is a critic. He sits back and complains. A cynic looks for the flaws rather than the joys. A cynic looks for ulterior motives. It is someone who expects the milk to quickly go sour and to look for the cockroach that may have crawled into your ice cream. Or just looking for the cost of the moment. Where the youthful chase rainbows, the cynic is staring at the clouds, waiting for the rain to dump. Where the youthful dance in the rain, the cynic is pessimistic, feeling a cold coming on, his socks wet, and complaining that the sun is never out long. And when a youthful person get sunburned, he gets a kick out of watching his skin peel as something fascinating. Whereas a cynic is thinking about skin cancer and the irony that the sun brings evil too.

Youthfulness is about finding joy in life. It is about being grateful for the simple things. So really it is an obvious Godly trait.

God really isn't about blessing us with gold falling out of the sky in grand demonstrative miracles. He is all about the small and simple wonders. He is about pleasant breezes. Enjoyable sunsets. Fresh fruit. Pleasing rain. And warm sunshine. He is also about wintery snowstorms, where snuggly fires and close story times bring people together. He is about personal conversations. Small 'thank-you's and kind forgiveness. He is also about Eternal Life, which is about eternal growth and finding joy in the future.

Y is for Youthful